Can your accountant call HMRC on your behalf?

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Yes, your accountant can absolutely call HMRC on your behalf! However, they cannot do it automatically. Because your financial details are strictly confidential, you must first give HMRC official permission to speak to your accountant. This process is known as “authorising an agent.”

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Why Can’t They Just Call Right Away?

HMRC has strict rules to protect your privacy. If your accountant rings them up and says, “I’m calling about John’s self-employed tax return,” the HMRC advisor will check their system. If you haven’t officially linked your accountant to your tax records, HMRC will refuse to speak to them or share any information.

Giving this permission is a great idea, as it saves you from waiting in long HMRC phone queues and lets your accountant handle any confusing tax jargon directly!

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How Do You Give Them Permission?

Getting your accountant set up to talk to HMRC is a very standard process. For self-employed people in the UK, there are two main ways to get this done:

1. The Online Way (Fastest)

Your accountant will usually start this process through their own HMRC portal.

• They request access to your account.
• HMRC will then post a letter with a special activation code to your home address.
• You simply hand this code over to your accountant, and they type it into their system.
• Important tip: This code usually expires after 30 days, so make sure to pass it on to them as soon as it arrives!

Alternatively, if you are comfortable using computers, you can log into your own Government Gateway account and use an online link (sometimes called a “digital handshake”) to assign your accountant to your taxes.

2. The Paper Way (Form 64-8)

If you don’t use the online portal, or if you need to authorise an older type of tax, you can use a standard paper document called Form 64-8.

• Your accountant will usually fill in all the confusing boxes for you.
• You just need to check it over and sign the bottom.
• It is then posted to HMRC. It takes a little longer to process than the online route, but it works perfectly well.

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What Can Your Accountant Do Once Authorised?

Once HMRC processes your permission, your accountant officially becomes your “tax agent.” This means they can:

• Call HMRC directly to sort out issues, fix mistakes, or ask questions about your tax bill.
• Submit your annual Self Assessment tax returns for you.
• Claim allowable business expenses and tax reliefs on your behalf.
• View your tax codes, past returns, and exactly what you owe.

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What You Still Need to Do

While your accountant can do the heavy lifting and make the frustrating phone calls, it is important to remember that you are still legally responsible for your tax.

Even with an authorised accountant, you must ensure the numbers they submit are truthful and accurate based on your records. It is also ultimately your responsibility to make sure the actual tax bill is paid out of your bank account before the January 31st deadline.

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